Water in the desert. It’s a huge factor, and not in the way you’d think. Water shaped the desert landscape, even though you might think there’s none there. The canyons and caverns of the American West were formed by water. I heard a very enthusiastic Death Valley National Park ranger named Jay Snow expound on this amazing fact. He was right. Death Valley is all about water. So is the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns and all those other iconic desert places. Many of them were once part of a vast inland sea, believe it or not. Water is ancient and powerful and wild. When we’re not tampering with it, that is. (and that’s a huge topic for another post on my ‘In Wilderness…’ page)
Upper Falls at Bandelier
Carlsbad Caverns ceiling
scillagrace 
Beautiful pictures! It is amazing what the force of water can do.
Water and time…a transforming combination for sure. Thanks for visiting, Julie!
I’m in the SoCal desert right now, enjoying the beauty I find in desert living. We (Coachella Valley) are on an aquafer but the recent drought has put it in question for the long term. Most of the golf courses are turning to reclaimed water sources…a good thing. And it seems like most are extremely conscious of water usage. Love this post.
My water habits definitely change when I go west…no running the water while brushing my teeth! The Midwest is very water rich, but I bet most people don’t think of it.